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Hippos death still rising in Malawi

The Department of Parks and Wildlife in Malawi says 45 hippopotamuses have died at Liwonde National Park since October this year. The Hippos are dying due to an outbreak of Anthrax at Liwonde National Park which is a home to about 1,900 hippos

Brighton Kumchedwa the Director of parks and Wildlife said 12 hippos have died since December 5th, 2018. However, he noted that the number of recorded deaths per day is decreasing.

“In the past, we could register five deaths daily but now the last recorded was on December 24th, 2018 and the previous one was on December 19th, 2018,” he said.

He added that the tourism at the park is still thriving despite the deaths which are  only happening along Shire River banks of the park.

According to Kumchedwa, to avoid further spread of the disease the department cover carcasses with lime and then bury them.

“We were advised that burning the carcasses actually increases the spread of the infection,” he said.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife first noticed carcasses of hippos floating on Shire River in Liwonde on October 10th this year. In November, the death toll was at 22.

Kumchedwa said it is the first time in Malawi for a lot of hippos to die in a short period of time.

Earlier this month, government warned Malawians about the disease and urged people to refrain from grazing domestic animals in infected areas, avoid touching, opening or eating dead wild animals and avoid slaughtering sick animals for consumption.

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